Results for tag "photographer"

Senior: Jasmine

Another of the home-schooled students we’ve had the pleasure of photographing this year, Jasmine was the one (of her two other siblings) who wanted pictures the most.  She was fun, enjoyed posing, and wanted plenty of variety.  We have that!

home-schooled senior pictures

Do You Really Want The CD?

So, when your photographer advertises that big special offer, which might include a CD of images from the session, you’re ready to jump on it because you love getting the CD, right?  What’s not relevant here is how many images you get, or the circumstances.  What’s important is that if you only got a CD, you’re not only cheating yourself, but you’re getting cheated.  Read on.

Notwithstanding that a CD might cost less than a buck, and that your photographer with a certain style might spend less than a hour on your images, what are you really getting?  Yes, you get the experience and professional photography.  You get good customer service, a fun time with a genuinely nice person, and even some good pictures.  But are you getting something that will last forever?

Do you remember the 8-track tape?  Cassette tape?  Most people don’t use CDs anymore (they only hold about 700MB), and most use DVDs (which hold over 4GB).  But with the advent of Blu-Ray, how long will it be before that DVD is out of date?  Or that file format?  What will you do in ten years when DVDs are no longer supported by computers (most computers today no longer support floppy drives)?

Here’s something else to consider… where will you store your disk?  What will you do with the images on it?  Post them on Facebook?  How long will they stay there?  They may remain on your photo gallery for a long time, but they will get pushed to the bottom like all the others have over time.  And forgotten.  The disk may get lost or damaged (do you know how to take care of a DVD properly?)

It’s time for you to take control.  If your photographer offers only a disk, ask for more.  Demand prints.  Tell them you want your images to be on the wall, in full view, for all to see.  Be proud of your portraits, your wedding, your children and your family!  Don’t hide them away on a disk anymore.  Put them out for the world to see!

Here’s more to consider.  Did you know that children who see pictures of themselves on the walls have a greater sense of well-being and self-confidence as they grow up?  They can’t see those pictures of they’re on a disk.  And couples who put their wedding pictures on the walls and in an album are more likely to stay together than those who don’t. We have clients who regularly share their pictures on the walls with us – and they have fabulous relationships, wonderful families and beautiful children!

Listen… this is not hard to understand.  And yes, we DO sell the image files for most of our sessions and weddings.  But we always offer you prints at the same time.  And we always will, because they mean you will always see the pictures that you have tucked safely away in a dark storage place (after you made a backup, right?)

So, what are you going to do next time your photographer offers a disk-only portrait session?  That’s right, demand prints!

 

Senior Portrait: Eddie

Eddie seemed quiet at first, but quickly became a good conversationalist.  We talked about track & field, his desire to work in law enforcement, and graduation.

musselman senior portraits

A wedding photographer’s preparation

A photographer prepares for a wedding just as they would for any other shoot, ensuring that the equipment is ready, the personnel are ready, and that there’s a working plan.  The difference with a wedding is that these events have a special kind of emotional attachment, as well as a sense of urgency… you can’t do it over, in other words.

My preparation is fairly simple.  But here it is…

  • I review the schedule to make sure what time I’m suppose to be there and when, making sure I have plenty of gas in the car to get there. I review some names of the accompanying party so I can make people a bit more at ease by using their name and not just a general reference.
  • All of the equipment gets cleaned, even if it isn’t dirty.
  • All of the batteries get charged; camera, flash, remote, extension, and portable hard drive.
  • I review the camera settings to make certain that everything is where I want it, and if it isn’t I set it that way.
  • I familiarize myself with the assistant/second shooter for the day and write reminders for myself on things I need to tell them about procedures that we should follow for this wedding.
  • I pack all my equipment the morning of or the night before.  Everything should be ready to go when I get to the wedding.

The actual pre-coverage preparation is a bit more complex, but this gives you an idea of what goes into the before the wedding agenda.

Any questions?

You can view our wedding coverage, including photos at tlcphotography.com/weddings.

What is a Concept Shoot?

In the past several months, we’ve been using the term “concept shoot” on Facebook from time to time.  So, you might be curious as to what a concept shoot means or entails.

Frequently, us creative types get visions of imagery that we want to create.  While many of the best concept shoots require lots of advance planning, some do not.  One type of concept shoot is that which involves a specific scenario, location or setup.  Another type is usually more grandiose, including several people, increased lighting and setup, and plenty of time to create a one-of-a-kind image.

The reason we do concept shoots is to test certain ideas.  For example, we recently did a concept shoot involving people with tattoos.  The objective was to photograph tattooed skin with as much dramatic light as possible, enhancing the overall appearance of the tattoo.  To do that, we recruited models who had tattoos.  The concept was to create this dramatic lighting in the studio.

This is just one example.  Some are considerably more elaborate.  We are working on two now (in the planning stages) that involve a much bigger canvas and some cooperation from the weather and other circumstances.

If you want to be part of any of our future concept shoots, please let us know.  We welcome onlookers and those who want to learn… but don’t be surprised if we ask you to haul equipment or handle the lighting or something.

Senior: Emily

Emily was a late season senior, visiting us a mere two months before graduation. She was fairly adamant about having on-location pictures, and we were happy to accommodate.  We also photographed her in our studio and our portrait park.  She’s a big quirky, but a lot of fun and has a stunning smile.  We enjoyed her senior portrait session!

senior portraits in shepherdstown martinsburg senior portraits

Studio for Rent

When was the last time you were working on a project and said to yourself, “I wish I had a really nice studio space to work in, with plenty of lights, props and backdrops to do what’s really in my head”?  Well, we’re going to help you with that… AND offer to train you to use it.

Here’s the link to check out what we’ve put together for you (there are more pictures to come): TLC Photography’s Studio Rental Page.

Print

You can rent for as little as two hours, or for entire days at a time.  Small projects to large, we can accommodate you.  And here’s the best part: while the studio introduction is free of charge, Tony is also available for one-on-one mentoring for a smaller additional charge than his usual rate when you are also renting the studio.

Go take a look at the link.  All the information, including the equipment data, rental rates, and a gallery of pictures is right there.  We’re preparing an introductory video as well, which will come soon.  Questions?  Ask!

304-263-3100 or tony@tlcphotography.com.